Elephant Corridor Hotel, Sigiriya The March opening of this boutique hotel of just 21 suites has propelled Sri Lanka into the league of the world's best. The hotel, set in 200 acres, has an impressive ratio of up to six staff per guest. From outside, the single-storey ochre buildings look a bit like a building site but inside, they are the height of rustic elegance. With stone walls and marble floors, they are fitted out with local or recycled products. Each has a plunge pool, binoculars for spotting wildlife from picture windows with breathtaking lake and hill views, and an easel with crayons for recording it. Though there are five categories of suites, the lowest category was my favourite. The only downside is the food, which isn't up to five-star scratch, though you can eat anywhere in the hotel grounds, including high tea by the lake and dinner by starlight. In the evening, stroll out with the resident nature expert to a nearby reservoir to go elephant spotting; we didn't see any, but we did walk in their enormous footprints and spot some impressive mounds of dung.

Nearby: Old capitals of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura, Sigiriya rock fortress.

Deer Park Hotel, Giritale Tucked away in a mass of trees and vegetation are the 80 rooms of this lovely lodge-style hotel, where squirrels will take food from your hand, and the only noise is birdsong and the water tumbling from one level of the swimming pool into the other. Recently taken over by the Banyan Tree group, the hotel is being stylishly renovated. The pièce de résistance, though, has to be the bathrooms, half of which are outside (though discreetly sheltered) so you can shower in the open air. They are dimly lit, so it feels like you're carrying out your ablutions in the middle of a dense tropical jungle.

Nearby: Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura, Sigiriya.

Tea Factory Hotel, Nuwara Eliya Set in a converted tea factory in Sri Lanka's hilly central area, this hotel's exterior is unchanged since British planters built it in the first half of the century. There are wonderful views of tea bushes covering the surrounding hillsides. Inside, the four lofts - where the tea was dried - are bedrooms with original pinewood floors. The bathrooms are functional rather than luxurious. Food served up in the large, wooden dining room is among Sri Lanka's best, and naturally, there are tea-making facilities in every room.

Nearby: Quaint English-style village of Nuwara Eliya

Mount Lavinia Hotel, Colombo Close enough to the capital to use as an airport hotel but far enough away to be a beach resort hotel, Mount Lavinia is an elegant hotel full of white columns, polished wood floors, a magnificent ballroom and pith-helmet wearing staff. It also has a romantic past, built as a result of the love between English governor Sir Thomas Maitland and a local dancer - the hotel was originally her residence, complete with a secret tunnel from the garden to his wine cellar. Most of the 275 rooms have views of the waves crashing on to the rocks. As well as more formal dining facilities, there's a great seafood restaurant on the beach, where you can choose how much you want of any type of fish and then pick your cooking style. A string of celebrities have stayed at the hotel including Vivien Leigh, Kirk Douglas and Gregory Peck.

Nearby: Colombo for shopping

The Sun House, Galle

There are just six rooms at the Sun House in the old city of Galle, with its Dutch fort. You could easily imagine yourself back in the colonial era staying in this white-tiled 1840s home, complete with shady veranda looking on to a small pool. There are full bookshelves in the comfy sitting room and the simple bedrooms, which open out on to the mango tree garden, are kitted out in white linen. The bathrooms are quite basic, sometimes only separated from the rooms by a curtain. With fans rather than air conditioning, the tone is one of comfort rather than luxury, although the Cinnamon Suite, which takes up the whole of the first floor with private balcony and sitting room, is in a class of its own. Just over the road is a sister property, the Dutch House, with three suites.

Nearby: South coast beaches

·Barefoot Traveller (020 8741 4319) features all the above properties in its Barefoot Luxury programme. A 10-day trip including flights and a private air-conditioned car with English-speaking driver costs from £1,650 bed and breakfast in October, based on two sharing.